The World Ends With You: Origins
by MaxAxil
Summary: Before T.W.E.W.Y. ever happened, Neku had a friend. His only best friend. He(I'm assuming he's a guy) taught Neku about CAT. He kept Neku from being lonely. But then he died. And then, he started shutting people out. Read about how Neku met this friend and how he had been a big part of Neku's life before his untimely death.


**Chapter 1:****Reminiscing**

**15 Years after T.W.E.W.Y…**

Fiffteen Years after the Reapers Game incident, Neku had moved on with his life. Married Shiki and had a beautiful, silver haired, young daughter. She was clutching a Mr. Mew Plush that was obviously a hand me down from Shiki. Shiki wasn't home but Neku was in the living room, looking at a picture album.

"Dad, what are you looking at?" Neku, who looked at his daughter, raised a photo album

"This, Hype, is a photo album" Hype was clearly fascinated but quickly lost interest at the book. Obviously in this generation, Photo Albums hardly exist

"Daddy, those things are old. We have electronic photo frames now."

Hype flipped from the sofa, laying face-up.

"This was when I was 15. We still printed photos back then."

Neku was looking at a photo of him with Shiki, Beat, and Rhyme. And apparently Joshua, who Neku didn't notice before was standing behind a pole, giggling. Joshua hardly has pictures with them because of his busy life as Composer. If he DOES however, it's usually in the background or sudden.

Neku flipped the book back and saw a picture of him with a lanky, white haired student, standing in front of the Mural at Udagawa. Before Neku even met Shiki and Beat, this was probably Neku's happiest moment.

Hype was intrigued.

"I know Mommy, Uncle Beat, Aunt Rhyme, and Uncle Joshua… But who's that?"

Neku smiled at first. Then his face dropped a bit. It almost looked like Neku was tearing up.

"He… was an old friend of mine." Neku replied

"Where is he?" Hype asked.

That question was an extremely painful blow to Neku. Just remembering him was harsh enough. Trying to relive the pain of him finding out that his friend had died in an accident was like dying inside.

"I… Don't know sweetheart."

Neku didn't want to think his friend got erased. A person goes to the reapers game if they die, meaning his friend had probably played the game himself. But he never returned after a week. One may assume he had been erased, but Neku refuses to believe it. It's been Neku's biggest regret when he died. It was the reason he started shutting out people.

But Neku never forgot. He always thought of him.

Hype was still intrigued, but like her parents, she was smart enough not to ask more questions. Ironically, Neku had stopped her from leaving.

"Do you want to know what he was like?" Neku asked

Hype slid from the sofa and jumped to Neku's lap.

"Yeah! I do!" She exclaimed.

The door had opened. Shiki had come home and found Neku and Hype about to begin. She's heard the story before, and she didn't want to intrude. So she went to the kitchen to prepare dinner.

"Neku…" Shiki whispered. She knew it would kill him to tell his story again, but why would he tell it? Let alone to a 5 year old girl.

She laid out the groceries and started arranging knives and a chopping board. Her phone rang to the ringtone of Calling

_"Calling! Someone is Calling! Calling! Someone is Calling"_

Shiki had heard it from Neku's MP3 player before and downloaded the song to her phone for the sole purpose of making it her ring tone. To this day, she giggles a little when she hears it. She grabbed her phone from the counter. It was Rhyme.

"Hello?"

"Shiki. Hi, it's me. I just wanted to ask if you can come over and help with the cooking."

"What? But I thought Beat was coming over to cook for you. He was being high and mighty about wanting to cook for his little sis?"

"Yeah well that's the problem. Beat... Kinda burned...Whatever he's cooking"

Beat was screaming in the background

"Bwaahh! Da Pot Roast is burning yo!" Beat was obviously trying to take care of the fire

"That was a Pot Roast? It had spaghetti on it!" OK, now that was interesting.

Rhyme was laughing on the phone.

"Yo Rhyme! Stop laughing and tell me where the fire ecstingisher is!" Rhyme and Shiki Started Laughing hard "Doesn't he mean _Extinguisher_?" Shiki was trying to stop laughing.

Rhyme sighed."He's 30 and he _still_ has horrible grammar and spelling" Rhyme sounded as though she was walking. "Hold on Shiki" Rhyme put down the phone"It's by the fridge. Just over. No... No. There. No _There_. There, you got it."

There was a quick slushy sound. One that came from a fire extinguisher.

"Anyway. Can you come by in 20 minutes? Beat used everything at home and we're out of food. You're close to the grocery store, and we really need help." Shiki put her knife down and faced the living room. "Neku I'm going out for a while. Rhyme needs me."

There was a shout across the hall. "What happened?" Shiki giggled. "Beat happened. I'll be back in 40 minutes or so." Neku gave a short laugh.

"Ok. See ya later." Shiki put her phone back to her ear. "I'll be there in 20- Omigosh!" Shiki said quietly. Rhyme was alarmed. "What happened?! Was it noise?! Reapers?!"

A quick flash of light had dropped outside the window in front of her. Shiki immediately grabbed one of the Mr. Mews that was conveniently placed near the kitchen sink and opened the window, and threw Mr. Mew at the bright light. "Go Mr. Mew!"

There was a soft thumping sound and the light disappeared.

"Um, should I be in pain? That wasn't really the greeting I was expecting today." Outside Shiki's lawn was the silver haired, giggling composer everyone knows and loves. On his left hand was the Mr. Mew doll that Shiki threw at him, and on his right was an Iphone, a possible replacement for the old orange flip phone he had.

"JOSHUA?!" Shiki mouthed quietly. Normally, if someone said Joshua's name inside the Sakuraba household, Neku would come running in that direction, holding a psychokinesis pin. Apparently, he still want's to choke Joshua even if he does trust him.

"Honestly Shiki, You're no better than Neku. I'm just glad he hasn't seen me yet. I'm pretty sure he's not over the whole _Agenda_15 years ago. Unlike you, I think he'll actually _use_ his pin before throwing his weapons at me. " Joshua tossed Mr. Mew to Shiki, who went pink after noticing that she wasn't wearing her Groove Pawn pin(Which was on the kitchen counter), rendering Mr. Mew useless "Not that Neku _had _any weapons" Joshua added.

"What are you doing here?!" Shiki asked carefully. One, Neku was right across the hall. And he pretty much has pins hidden everywhere in his house. And two, Joshua never gives straight answers. Even the simplest questions will bounce right off him

"I want to hear about this _friend_ Neku is talking about. I can't walk in. I'd be burned a crisp before I can set foot in this house." Oh, I'm pretty sure a Pyrokinesis pin wouldn't satisfy Neku just yet.

"Shiki? Is someone there." Neku heard them

"It's no one dear! Rhyme just told me a really funny joke!. Ahaha haha haha" Shiki fabricated a laugh and glared at Joshua

"Look, I may be forgiving, but Neku holds grudges. You're technically his friend, but he still wants revenge. I have to get to Rhyme's before Beat burns anything else. If I'm away, nothing will stop Neku from torturing you. So PLEASE, keep out of Neku's sight!"

Joshua giggled. "Yes Ma'am!" Shiki leered at him.

"And you should really stop giggling." Joshua giggled again.

"I'll giggle when I want to. Hee hee hee..."

Shiki rolled her eyes "Creep" she said under her breath and put her phone to her ears. "Hello, still there? Sorry. It was only Joshua. I'll be there in 20ish with some food. See ya. And don't let Beat touch anything else." Shiki started walking out.

"-and then, he followed me down the hall to my class to-" Shiki smiled.

It was heartwarming to see father and daughter spend some quality time together. Shiki got in her car and ignited her engine. On the way, she saw Joshua perched on a tree with his phone capturing pictures. Once she returns home, she doubts the story would be finished by then. For now, we'll have to wait and see what Neku will tell his young daughter.

**End of Chapter 1**


End file.
